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Balcones
Founded
2008
Region
Texas, USA
Status
Operational
Production type
Bourbon whiskey,
Corn whiskey,
Rye whiskey,
Single malt
Production capacity
350,000 litres per year
Balcones Distilling was founded in 2008 by Chip Tate, and is named after the geological fault zone that runs from the nearby town of Waco, Texas, to the southern part of the state. The original distillery opened the following year, housed in a small former welding shop under a bridge in Waco. Its early success necessitated expansion however, and in 2016 they opened a new distillery at the old Texas Fireproof Storage Co building which had been their warehousing operation since 2011.
Balcones uses only pot stills in its production, originally hand-built by Tate but since replaced with new ones from Forsyths in Scotland. Its highly-regarded portfolio of craft spirits includes a variety of bourbon, single malt, rye and corn whiskies.
The Balcones brand debuted in 2009, just a few months after the commencement of production at the original distillery. Its inaugural release was a batch of Baby Blue, a corn whisky produced using 100% Texan blue corn and the first Texas whisky introduced to the market since prohibition.
Today Baby Blue is still cornerstone of the Balcones core range, alongside its Classic Edition single malt, 100 proof rye, pot still bourbon and a second single malt called Lineage. The latter was launched in 2020 and is distilled from a combination of Texan and Simpsons Golden Promise malted barley from Scotland. These are supported by regular annual releases as well as various limited editions and a private barrel selection programme.
Balcones Distilling
225 S 11th Street
Waco
TX 76701
USA
Active brands
Bourbon whiskey,
Corn whiskey,
Rye whiskey,
Single malt